NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Queens man was sentenced to five years in prison Monday for pointing an illegal gun at a transgender woman, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced.
The 24-year-old, Quame Truitt, approached the victim around 6 p.m. while she was walking on 162nd St. in Jamaica on Sept. 5. Truitt reached to his waist and told the victim “You don’t belong here,” according to court documents.
Truitt then pulled a pistol from a bag and pointed it at the victim. The woman got away from Truitt and found a police officer in a nearby patrol car and told him what happened and told the officer what the suspect looked like. Truitt was arrested shortly after and police recovered the gun in a nearby trash can, officials said.
“The defendant threatened a transgender woman just because she is a transgender woman,” D.A. Katz said. “While being chased by police, the defendant discarded the gun. It was recovered and the defendant apprehended. He has now been sentenced by the Court for his criminal actions. The diversity of Queens County is our greatest strength and we will not tolerate acts of violence based on someone’s race, gender or appearance.”
Earlier this month, Truitt pleaded guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. Along with the five year prison sentence, Truitt was also given five years of post-release supervision.
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